Possible Source of Swine Flu Outbreak: La Gloria, Mexico - US-run, Hog Facility run by Smithfield
"According to state agents of the Mexican social security institute, the vector of this outbreak are the clouds of flies that come out of the hog barns, and the waste lagoons into which the Mexican-US company spews tons of excrement," reported Mexico City newspaper La Jornada." ""Sources characterised the event as a 'strange' outbreak of acute respiratory infection, which led to pneumonia in some paediatric cases. Health officials recorded 400 cases that sought medical treatment in the last week in La Gloria, which has a population of 3,000; officials indicated that 60% of the town's population, approximately 1,800 cases, has been affected." "Smithfield, which is led by pork baron Joseph W Luter III, has previously been fined for environmental damage in the US."

Rolling Stone in 2006 noted:
"Smithfield estimates that its total sales will reach $11.4 billion this year. So prodigious is its fecal waste (26 million tons/year), however, that if the company treated its effluvia as big-city governments do -- even if it came marginally close to that standard -- it would lose money."

See this post @ MyDD for more info and excellent posts.

For pictures of the Smithfield plant @ La Gloria, Mexico: http://suburbiodeimagen.blogspot.com (spanish site)

It is criminal to treat animals and people this way.......for profit and habit?

Center for Disease Control (CDC) Recommendations regarding Swine Flu.... and some of 'mine' (below):

1) Persons with a febrile, respiratory illness should stay home and avoid contacts.

2) Frequent hand washing (20 seconds under running water), can lessen disease transmission. A single 'sneeze' propels 40,000 droplets into the air at a speed of 90 mph....these droplets land on door knobs, keyboards, etc. Wash your hands several times a day (alcohol based hand cleaners are also effective) and never touch your face after touching a public object (if possible). Cover your face when you sneeze.

3) If you have to be in public, wear a medical mask. Try to avoid public areas as much as possible.

4) Clinicians should submit nasopharyngeal swabs of patients who present with 'febrile, respiratory' symptoms. These specimens need to be refrigerated. Should you choose to treat, the CDC is currently recommending the use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza) for treatment and/or prevention of Swine flu.

5) The 'flu' vaccine doesn't work against swine flu.

6) An individual is contagious for3-4 days, while having symptoms, but....children can shed the virus for up to a week. Since this is a new 'bug' I'd be cautious and if you are ill, stay out of public places, if you can.

6) Surprisingly, the CDC has not yet issued a travel warning to endemic areas. It makes sense and certainly will not hurt to postpone trips until this pandemic has passed. Here is a link to CDC travel advice. Personally, I would postpone trips, if possible and probably wear a mask.

7) Call your medical practitioner for any additional concerns.

Swine Flu Striking Again:

"Mexican officials, scrambling to control a swine flu outbreak that has killed at least 16 people and possibly dozens more in recent weeks,...."

Factory Farms = SARS, Swine Flu, Mad-Cow Disease, e Coli outbreaks....... in addition to cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, obesity, antibiotic resistance, global warming and animal cruelty.

Eating meat is no longer necessary, so why bother? Its bad for you, the earth and the animal.

Italian Scientist, turning 100, still works

Rita Levi Montalcini, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, said Saturday that even though she is about to turn 100, her mind is sharper than it was she when she was 20.

"Above all, don't fear difficult moments," she said. "The best comes from them."

"I should thank Mussolini for having declared me to be of an inferior race. This led me to the joy of working, not any more unfortunately, in university institutes but in a bedroom," the scientist said.

The Sky We Can't See....

Culture Unplugged Video

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

Red Cross: Medical Officers Participated in Torture at CIA Prisons

"Health personnel offered supervision and even assistance as suspected al-Qaeda operatives were beaten, deprived of food, exposed to temperature extremes and subjected to water- boarding, the relief agency said in the 2007 report, a copy of which was posted on a magazine Web site yesterday. The report quoted one medical official as telling a detainee: "I look after your body only because we need you for information."

I feel these physicians should have their licenses revoked. What is clearly documented is an abomination and violation of the Hippocratic Oath. These monsters are psychopaths who should not practice medicine. Reminiscent of 'The Marathon Man".....here is a clip that will take you to the core of the immorality and the stupidity of the action....

Following Bush lead, Obama moves to block challenge to wiretapping program

"President Barack Obama invoked "state secrets" to prevent a court from reviewing the legality of the National Security Agency's warantless wiretapping program, moving late Friday to have a lawsuit that challenged the program dismissed."

....there is probably some compelling reason, but Obama's promise of change is slowly deteriorating....